Video: Club for Growth to Republicans: Show some spine

posted at 3:25 pm on July 11, 2011 by Tina Korbe

In his press conference today, President Barack Obama praised House Speaker John Boehner as “a good man” seeking to do what is best for his country, even as he lamented the difficult politics Boehner supposedly faces within his own caucus and encouraged Boehner and Republican leadership to ignore “the voices … that seek to undermine [the] effort [to reach a compromise].” I trust Boehner won’t let all of that go to his head, but, just in case it does, here’s a Club for Growth video that reminds Republicans to have a spine and stick to a principled stance in debt and deficit reduction negotiations (h/t Townhall.com’s Guy Benson):

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No debt limit hike without real spending cuts and a balanced budget amendment.

Now I’m not the brightest person on the face of the earth. But it seems the makers of this spot think I’m one of the dumbest. Because simple minded me thinks; That if you cut spending the defect will go down. Raising the limit is then rendered a moot and unnecessary point.

Why should the debt limit be raised? So that we can spend more money and go into more debt. So why would the GOP try to get a deal that achieves that end? What this commercial says is that going into more debt is okay as long as we get some spending cuts.

In home economics 101, the first thing one does when they are up to their eyeballs in debt, is cut up the credit cards. You don’t apply for another credit card by claiming that if you get another card, you will cut future spending. The very fact that you intend on going into even more debt, is what matters, not how much you spend, or don’t spend, in the future.

But again, the GOP is playing on the democrats’ terms. The GOP is basically the Lite version of the democrats. You have Keynesian socialism, and then Keynesian socialism lite.

President Barack Obama praised House Speaker John Boehner as “a good man” seeking to do what is best for his country, even as he lamented the difficult politics Boehner supposedly faces within his own caucus and encouraged Boehner and Republican leadership to ignore “the voices … that seek to undermine [the] effort [to reach a compromise].” I trust Boehner won’t let all of that go to his head,

According to Obama, Boehner would fold like a cheap lawn chair if he didn’t have anybody to answer to. But he’s a good man trying to do what’s best for the country………like getting Obama out of there while there still is a country.

“Real spending cuts” Please, that’s as vague and unenforceable as the 11 UN resolutions to Iraq. A “balanced budget amendment” As if Congress can’t spend more than is in a budget… We’re so going to lose this battle.

Now I’m not the brightest person on the face of the earth. But it seems the makers of this spot think I’m one of the dumbest. Because simple minded me thinks; That if you cut spending the defect will go down. Raising the limit is then rendered a moot and unnecessary point.

Tommy_G on July 11, 2011 at 3:31 PM

Only if you cut spending enough to eradicate this year’s deficit, and make sure subsequent budgets come in balanced or with a positive income. Otherwise, we’ll have to raise the limit.

Now, they could raise the limit enough to allow for deficits for the next few years, as long as the annual deficits are low enough, and shrinking enough, to eventually bring it to an annual balance. Which is really the only realistic option available.

There’s simply no way we can expect an immediate balancing of the budget for at least the next 2-3 years. But I’m certainly in the boat that Congress gets one shot at this. If they don’t put together a legitimate long-term budget strategy, which brings the annual budget into balance by, say, 2016, and start paying down the debt, then we’re screwed. And that certainly includes Entitlement and Tax reform; as well as a comprehensive overhaul of the entire regulatory beast we have at the Federal level. The only legitimate issue with this is there is absolutely no way we’ll see a comprehensive Reform package in the next 3 weeks. Which is exactly how Congress and the President get their wiggle room.

But if a plan like Ryan’s is adopted, and there is a good-faith effort put forth by our government officials to iron the kinks out over the next year, then we’ve got a chance.

I’ll leave it as an exercise to the reader as to whether or not I think this will happen….

I’m with you on the balance budget fraud, but why the exception for wars, recessions, etc? Why not just pay for our wars as we go? Recessions? Did the stimulus not demonstrate the fallacy of supply side recession spending? Etc? What else?

Boehner isn’t smart enough to realize that he’s got Obama by the short hairs and Obama KNOWS it. Raise the debt ceiling and Obama and the Democrats are completely off the hook and we know they’ll NEVER agree to any kind of spending cut that is meaningful. Don’t raise the debt ceiling and cuts in spending become automatic!

Unfortunately, Boehner and his sidekick Cantor don’t get it that they can squeeze the Democrats until they cry Uncle and there’s nothing the Dems can do about it. The Dems’ have raided the US Treasury and overspent by trillions so force them to find trillions in cuts.

My husband is using the dem talking points (loves Jim cramer) , if we don’t raise the ceiling we are going to be in a world of hurt
Help!
cmsinaz on July 11, 2011

Here’s a short, short PDF paper by Veronique de Rugy, writer and economist who posts often at NRO.

THE DEBT CEILING: WHAT IS AT STAKE
…
“If Congress decides not to raise the debt ceiling, however, the United States does not have to default on its
debt obligations. If the government reaches the debt ceiling and the Treasury is no longer able to issue
federal debt, the federal government could reduce spending, increase federal revenues by a corresponding
amount to cover the gap, or find other funding mechanisms.”
…

Far be it for me to insult the 12th imam, but he has to. The ceiling is for obligations already made not just last year but from years prior including Bush’s budget.(Remember Medicare D?) The goods and services were purchased, the bill has arrived. Past tense.

It’s only a matter of what concessions they can extract. The $2 trillion / 10 year cut sans taxes seems like as good as it’s going to get with only one house of Congress in play. The next step would be to go to the public and use debt & spending as the central issues for the 2012 election.

The public needs to have the choice before us made stark; either we submit to a large and obtrusive Federal beast or we cut the Leviathan down to size. The public needs to make the choice, and the GOP must make the outcomes incandescently distinct. Malaise or prosperity. Dependence or liberty. Mediocrity or exceptionalism.

This who debt crisis is a bunch of hooey. The US has plenty of money flowing into the treasury every month. There’s enough coming in to more than pay the interest and principal on the debt.

What the politicians won’t admit is that once our ‘debt crisis’ has been taken care of without raising the debt ceiling, there’s not enough money left to fund every stinking government program, department, czar, shrimp on treadmills—- yada yada yada.

So … start prioritizing. Cut the non-essentials. There are plenty of those.

Rush had a good solution on where to cut after the principle and interest is paid on the debt.

So far, Boehner has held out. Think of all the sharpies, government leeches, influence peddlers, and ungodly rich destroyers of political careers Boehner has to fend off each day to hold out

It must hurt to have the old man of the sea, the albatross, every vampire in twilight, and all the leeches in a vietnamese jungle hanging off your skin. Oh, and the chains of Marleys ghost too.

He has to see the hang dog eyes of RINOs and WHINOs as he walks the gauntlet to the WH, understanding whom he owes and who owes him.

If he holds out, I will send him a letter, ‘sealed with a kiss’

Hamlet

To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?

Boehner knows if he wins this one, it will get uglier, not better in the beltway

Hamlet

For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,
The pangs of disprized love, the law’s delay,
The insolence of office, and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin?

Boehner holds the key. The WH is attempting to re cast him as a victim of the conservatives, a good guy who would do the right thing if he could rid himself of the nutroots

With this they tempt him to cast off the base, in return for a fast easy solution and a so called working friendship.

To this I say, beware the golf course. Hold your golf club close, and your golf balls closer

Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pith and moment,
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action.

Meanwhile, I advise Boehner time is not on his side. If he wobbles, the oppostion will attempt to control the message and create a new image for him.

Action will set Boehner’s image. Inaction will cede the image to the enemy